Mobile cleaning robot

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a mobile cleaning robot comprising: a main body movable on a surface to be cleaned; the brush roller assembly is connected with the main body through a guide piece and can enable the mobile cleaning robot to clean the surface to be cleaned; the main body includes a first rail engageable with a guide to define a path of movement of the brush roll assembly in a height direction and a transverse direction relative to the main body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a mobile cleaning robot. Background Art

[0002] This section merely provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.

[0003] Autonomous mobile robots, including autonomous mobile cleaning robots, can autonomously perform cleaning tasks in environments such as homes. These robots can autonomously move across the surface being cleaned. While moving across the surface, they also operate dry cleaning elements that absorb debris and direct it toward the robot's vacuum airflow. Furthermore, the autonomous cleaning robots can clean the surface while operating rotating cleaning elements to remove stubborn stains by applying liquid to the surface.

[0004] Some mobile cleaning robots can perform both mopping and vacuuming operations. A cleaning roller can be added to the robot's base and dragged behind the robot's dry cleaning roller. Some mobile cleaning robots can also perform only mopping operations. During the cleaning process, some areas may be unsuitable for wet mopping, such as long-pile carpets, which are often found in living rooms and bedrooms. Alternatively, areas suitable for wet mopping may be encountered that are difficult for conventional cleaning components to reach, such as the junction between the floor and the wall, or between the floor and furniture. This can be challenging to provide the cleaning roller with adequate functionality while simultaneously ensuring sufficient contact between the cleaning roller and the floor and preventing contact between the cleaning roller and the floor. For example, due to design differences, some robots have cleaning components that can be raised to avoid contact with areas unsuitable for robot cleaning. Others have cleaning components that can swing outward and retract inward to facilitate cleaning of hidden corners. However, these cleaning components are typically designed as cleaning discs, which rotate slowly and typically clean the floor by diluting dirt particles. In these situations, the cleaning disc's cleaning efficiency is compromised. In another example, also due to differences in design, the cleaning disc tends to become very dirty later in use, making the cleaning disc a medium for secondary contamination. Utility Model Content

[0005] The present disclosure provides a mobile cleaning robot.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a mobile cleaning robot is provided, comprising: a main body, which can move on a surface to be cleaned; a brush roller assembly, which is connected to the main body through a guide member, so that the mobile cleaning robot can clean the surface to be cleaned; the main body includes a first track that can be engaged with the guide member to limit the movement path of the brush roller assembly in the height direction and the lateral direction relative to the main body.

[0007] According to a mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first track includes at least two lateral extensions of different heights, and a smoothly connected transition portion located between the lateral extensions. The guide member is received by the first track to move linearly through the lateral extensions, changing the movement trajectory through the transition portion, thereby changing its relative distance from the main body.

[0008] According to the mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the main body includes at least two first tracks, and the at least two first tracks are distributed side by side along the main body in a transverse direction.

[0009] According to the mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the guide member includes a slider, enabling the guide member to move within the first track.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the mobile cleaning robot further includes a horizontal actuator connected to the guide member, which provides a lateral actuation force to the guide member through lateral movement. During the lateral movement, the height of the horizontal actuator relative to the main body is constant.

[0011] According to the mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the horizontal actuator includes a second vertically arranged track to receive the guide member, so that the guide member can move up and down along the second track.

[0012] According to a mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the guide member includes a limit plate, which is located between the first rail and the second rail; and sliders extending outward from both sides of the limit plate, which are respectively received by the first rail and the second rail.

[0013] According to a mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the horizontal actuator includes a driving gear that is operable to rotate, and a rack connected to the guide member, and the driving gear is meshedly connected to the rack to convert the driving force of the driving gear into an actuating force in the lateral direction of the rack.

[0014] According to a mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the height includes a first height and a second height. At the first height, the brush roller assembly is in contact with the surface to be cleaned, and at least one end of the brush roller assembly extends out of the projection range of the body of the mobile cleaning robot on the surface to be cleaned.

[0015] According to a mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the height includes a first height and a second height. At the second height, the brush roller assembly is away from the surface to be cleaned, and the brush roller assembly as a whole is located within the projection range of the body of the mobile cleaning robot on the surface to be cleaned.

[0016] A mobile cleaning robot according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a controller connected to a main body, configured to move a guide between a first horizontal position and a second horizontal position according to a desired position of a brush roller assembly.

[0017] According to a mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller is configured to move the guide member from a first horizontal position to a second horizontal position when the brush roller assembly is at a first height to lower the height of the brush roller assembly to a second height, at which time one end of the brush roller assembly extends out of the main body of the mobile cleaning robot.

[0018] According to a mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller is configured to move the guide member from the second horizontal position to the first horizontal position when the brush roller assembly is at the second height to raise the height of the brush roller assembly to the first height, at which time at least one end of the brush roller assembly is located within the main body of the mobile cleaning robot.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a mobile cleaning robot, comprising: a main body;

[0020] A brush roller assembly enables the mobile cleaning robot to clean the surface to be cleaned;

[0021] a guide member connected to the brush roller and capable of driving the brush roller assembly to change position relative to the main body;

[0022] A first track is connected to the main body and is used to receive the guide member so that the guide member can move between a first lateral position and a second lateral position relative to the main body, wherein the guide member is away from the surface to be cleaned in the first lateral position and close to the surface to be cleaned in the second lateral position, thereby switching the brush roller between a position away from the surface to be cleaned and a position in contact with the surface to be cleaned; a gear rack assembly is connected to the guide member, and the gear rack assembly drives the guide member to move between the first lateral position and the second lateral position relative to the main body according to a rotational input; and a controller on the main body is used to provide a rotational input to the gear rack assembly according to a desired position of the brush roller assembly.

[0023] According to the mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, at the first horizontal position, the brush roller assembly is close to the main body and is entirely located inside the main body.

[0024] According to the mobile cleaning robot of one embodiment of the present disclosure, at the second horizontal position, the brush roller assembly is away from the main body and in contact with the surface to be cleaned, and one end thereof extends beyond or is flush with the widest position of the main body.

[0025] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a mobile cleaning robot comprising: a main body;

[0026] The brush roller assembly connected to the main body enables the mobile cleaning robot to clean the surface to be cleaned;

[0027] a guide member connected to the brush roller assembly, wherein the guide member is configured to guide the brush roller assembly to move in a lateral direction relative to the main body;

[0028] an actuator connected to the guide member, the actuator providing an actuating force to the lateral movement of the guide member;

[0029] The lateral movement stroke of the brush roller assembly relative to the main body includes a first extreme position and a second extreme position laterally opposite to the first extreme position. In the first extreme position, one end of the brush roller assembly can extend out of the main body relative to the main body and the brush roller assembly as a whole is away from the main body; in the second extreme position, the brush roller assembly as a whole is located within the range of the main body and the brush roller assembly as a whole is close to the main body.

[0030] According to a mobile cleaning robot according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the guide member includes:

[0031] A guide member connected to the brush roller assembly, and a first track that can be engaged with the guide member, the first track includes at least two lateral extensions with different heights, and a smoothly connected transition portion located between the lateral extensions, the guide member is received by the first track, and the brush roller assembly is moved closer to or away from the main body through the actuating force in the lateral direction.

[0032] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the mobile cleaning robot further includes a horizontal actuator, wherein the horizontal actuator includes a second vertically arranged track to receive the guide member, and the guide member can move up and down along the second track. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. These drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification.

[0034] Figure 1 is a bottom view of a cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 2 is a side view of a cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 3 is another side view of a cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 4 2 is another bottom view of a cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 5 It is a front schematic diagram of a brush roller assembly and a brush roller guide assembly of a cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure, showing a state in which the brush roller is separated from a surface to be cleaned.

[0039] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a brush roller assembly of a cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the first track distribution of the guide assembly of the cleaning robot on the main body according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 8 1 is a front view of a brush roller assembly and a brush roller guide assembly of a cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure, showing a state in which the brush roller engages a surface to be cleaned.

[0042] Figure 9 This is a front schematic diagram of a brush roller assembly and a brush roller guide assembly of a cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure, showing a state in which the brush roller engages a surface to be cleaned and one end extends out of the cleaning robot body.

[0043] Figure 10 It is a front schematic diagram of a brush roller assembly and a brush roller guide assembly of a cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure, showing another state in which the brush roller is separated from the surface to be cleaned.

[0044] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of another first track distribution of the guide assembly of a cleaning robot on the main body according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0045] Figure 12 3D exploded diagram of a horizontal actuator of a cleaning robot according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0046] Figure 13 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a brush roller assembly and a brush roller guide assembly according to an example of the present disclosure, showing a state in which both ends of the guide member are respectively engaged with different first tracks. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The present disclosure will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only intended to explain the relevant content and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only the portions relevant to the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0048] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features of the embodiments in the present disclosure can be combined with each other. The technical solution of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0049] Unless otherwise stated, the exemplary embodiments / examples shown are to be understood as providing exemplary features of various details of some ways in which the technical concepts of the present disclosure can be implemented in practice. Therefore, unless otherwise stated, the features of the various embodiments / examples may be further combined, separated, interchanged, and / or rearranged without departing from the technical concepts of the present disclosure.

[0050] The use of cross hatching and / or shading in the accompanying drawings is generally used to make the boundaries between adjacent components clear. As such, unless otherwise indicated, the presence or absence of cross hatching or shading does not convey or indicate any preference or requirement for the specific materials, material properties, dimensions, proportions, commonalities between the components shown, and / or any other characteristics, attributes, properties, etc. of the components. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, the sizes and relative sizes of the components may be exaggerated for clarity and / or descriptive purposes. When the exemplary embodiments can be implemented differently, the specific process sequence can be performed in a different order than described. For example, two successively described processes can be performed substantially simultaneously or in an order opposite to the order described. In addition, the same figure numbers represent the same components.

[0051] When a component is referred to as being “on,” “over,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another component, the component may be directly on, directly connected to, or directly coupled to the other component, or intervening components may be present. However, when a component is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another component, there are no intervening components present. For this purpose, the term “connected” may refer to a physical connection, an electrical connection, etc., with or without intervening components.

[0052] For descriptive purposes, the present disclosure may use spatially relative terms such as "below," "beneath," "under," "down," "above," "upper," "above," "higher," and "side (e.g., as in "sidewall")," to describe the relationship of one component to another (other) component as shown in the accompanying drawings. The spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use, operation, and / or manufacture in addition to the orientation depicted in the accompanying drawings. For example, if the device in the drawings is turned over, a component described as "below" or "beneath" another component or feature would then be positioned "above" the other component or feature. Thus, the exemplary term "below" can encompass both the "above" and "below" orientations. Furthermore, the device may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and as such, the spatially relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

[0053] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to be restrictive. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "one (kind, person)" and "said (the)" are also intended to include plural forms. In addition, when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" and their variations are used in this specification, the features, integral bodies, steps, operations, parts, assemblies and / or their groups stated are explained, but the presence or addition of one or more other features, integral bodies, steps, operations, parts, assemblies and / or their groups is not excluded. It should also be noted that, as used herein, the terms "substantially", "approximately" and other similar terms are used as approximate terms and not as degree terms, so that they are used to explain the inherent deviations of the measured values, calculated values ​​and / or the values ​​provided that will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0054] Mobile cleaning robots enhance conventional mobile cleaning robots with floor cleaning capabilities. These robots can include dry and / or wet cleaning elements (such as cleaning rollers or a cleaning disc), enabling the robot to perform dry vacuuming only, simultaneous dry vacuuming and wet cleaning, or mopping only. Regardless of the selected performance mode, the cleaning rollers in the cleaning robot can move between a retracted and extended position. When in the retracted position, the cleaning rollers improve vacuuming efficiency and the robot's maneuverability over the floor, and allow the robot to raise the cleaning rollers to vacuum surfaces that cannot or should not be mopped, such as carpets. However, when the wet cleaning elements are in the mopping or cleaning position, they are located within the main body of the cleaning robot, making it difficult for the cleaning tips to reach areas outside the main body. Consequently, in some designs, the robot must maintain close proximity to the wall to reach a portion of the floor-wall junction, requiring more precise algorithmic navigation control. Some designs extend or retract the wet cleaning elements within the robot's chassis to expand the cleaning area when the wet cleaning elements engage the floor. This requires a matching actuation system. However, raising the cleaning roller requires another matching actuation system. However, given the limited space available within the robot's chassis, it's best to redesign a simple and reliable actuation system based on the robot's operating mode (mopping or vacuuming).

[0055] The present disclosure helps solve this problem by including an adjustable guidance system in the mobile cleaning robot.

[0056] A mobile cleaning robot according to the present disclosure may include a main body, a brush roller assembly, and a guide member. The brush roller assembly may be connected to the main body and may be used in an environment to clean a surface to be cleaned. The guide member may guide the brush roller assembly to move relative to the main body between lateral and longitudinal positions along the main body. When in the longitudinally retracted position, the guide member may cooperate with a first track on the main body to help provide lift to the brush roller assembly in vacuuming mode, which helps ensure good maneuverability when navigating special areas such as carpets or cleaning efficiency in dry vacuuming mode. When the guide member is in the longitudinally raised position, the first track supports the weight of the brush roller assembly via the guide member. Therefore, the first track and the guide member serve to limit the downward travel of the brush roller relative to the main body and accurately set the height of the brush roller so that the brush roller disengages from the surface to be cleaned at an appropriate height. However, when the guide member is in the longitudinally lowered position, the first track applies pressure from the main body to the brush roller assembly via the guide member. Therefore, the first track and the guide member serve to limit the upward travel of the brush roller relative to the main body and accurately set the height of the brush roller so that the brush roller engages with the surface to be cleaned with appropriate pressure, achieving a force-cleaning effect. The longitudinal raising and lowering of the guide member is achieved by applying a horizontal actuation force to the guide member, so that the guide member can change its longitudinal height relative to the main body during its horizontal linear movement within the first track. Therefore, in mopping mode, the guide member can be further moved horizontally, causing one end of the brush roller to extend beyond the contour of the main body, helping to increase the range of the brush roller applied to the surface to be cleaned. This movable guide member can improve actuation redundancy and enhance cleaning performance in various operations or cleaning modes.

[0057] Figure 1 shows a bottom view of the robot 100, Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a side view showing the robot 100 with the brushroll assembly 130 in a raised, retracted position. Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a side view of the mobile cleaning robot 100 in another state, wherein the brush roller assembly 130 is in a lowered recovery position. Figure 4 1 is a bottom view of another state of the mobile cleaning robot 100, wherein the brush roller assembly 130 is in a lowered extended position. For ease of reference, the rising, falling, and recovery and extension herein are all described with reference to the robot body as a reference object and are not particularly limited to the present disclosure.

[0058] like Figure 1-4As shown, the robot 100 may include a main body 110 and a cleaning system. The cleaning system may include a brush roll assembly 130. The robot 100 may also include other features, such as a vacuum motor, one or more side brushes, a vacuum system, a controller, a drive system, universal wheels, sensors, or the like. The robot may also include a drive wheel that is connected to the shaft and can rotate; the drive wheel may be configured to be driven by a drive wheel motor to propel the robot 100 along the surface of the environment. The robot 100 may also include a controller (not shown), which may be located within the housing or main body 110 and may be a programmable controller, such as a single-board or multi-board computer, a direct digital controller (DDC), a programmable logic controller (PLC), or the like. In some example operations, the controller may operate the horizontal actuator 170 to raise the robot 100 to a raised recovery position (such as Figure 1 and 2 As shown), the descending recovery position (as shown Figure 3 As shown), lowered extended position (as shown Figure 4 The brush roller assembly 130 is moved between the upper and lower positions (as shown). In the raised, retracted position, the robot 100 can perform only vacuuming operations or only movement operations. In the lowered, retracted position, the robot can perform wet mopping operations and dry vacuuming operations, or only wet mopping operations. In the lowered, extended position, the robot can perform wet edge mopping operations.

[0059] Figure 5 Shown are a brush roller assembly 130, a guide 150, and a horizontal actuator 170. The horizontal actuator 170 may include a gear 171, a rack 172, a drive motor 173, an encoder (not shown), and the like.

[0060] The brush roller assembly 130 can be supported by a guide member 150 on the main body 110 of the robot 100. The main body 110 of the robot can be at least partially located within the robot housing, forming a part of the robot frame or being removably mounted on the robot frame as an independent component. In this disclosure, the main body 110 is schematically shown. The brush roller assembly 130 can extend through the bottom of the robot housing in both longitudinal and transverse directions.

[0061] The brushroll assembly 130 may include a brushroll 132 and a splash shield 133. The splash shield 133 may be a rigid or semi-rigid protective device that surrounds at least a portion of each brushroll 132. The splash shield 133 may be associated with or part of the brushroll assembly 130. The splash shield 133 may be spaced apart from the brushroll assembly 130 and may move with the brushroll 132 to maintain a fixed (or substantially fixed) distance between the respective brushroll assemblies 130 and the splash shield 133. As discussed in further detail below, the splash shield 133 may be coupled to a guide 150, and movement of the guide 150 may be used to set the stroke of the brushroll assembly 130 of the robot 100. Alternatively, the guide 150 may be coupled to another component of the brushroll assembly 130 to set the stroke of the brushroll assembly 130.

[0062] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in one example, the number of guide members 150 is two, namely, a guide member 1501 and a guide member 1502, which include rigid travel sliders and are respectively connected to the splash shield 133. As a part independent of the guide member 150, the robot body 110 also includes a first track 190. Accordingly, the first track 190 can also be provided in two pieces, namely, a first track 1901 and a first track 1902, which are suitable for receiving the above-mentioned guide member 1501 and the guide member 1502. The first track 190 can be formed on the robot body 110, so that the sliding path and position change of the guide member 150 in the first track 190 can cause the movement path and position change of the splash shield 133, so that the movement of the guide member 150 can cause the position change of the brush roller assembly 130 relative to the body 110 or the surface to be cleaned.

[0063] Figure 7 The first track 190 of the guide member 150 is more clearly shown. The first track 190 can be formed on the main body 110 of the robot, or formed on a base plate as an accessory of the cleaning robot, which is mounted on the main body. The guide member 150 includes a slider 151, which can be a relatively flat and smooth protrusion extending from both sides of the main body 152 of the guide member 150. Figure 6 and Figure 13As shown, the slider 151 can define a first end 151a and a second end 151b. The first end 151a can engage with a first track 190 to limit the horizontal translation of the guide member 150 relative to the main body 110. The second end 151b can engage with a vertical second track 172c on the horizontal actuator 170 to limit the vertical freedom of movement of the guide member 150 relative to the main body 110 during translation. The lateral endpoints of the first track 190, together with the guide member 150, help determine or limit the lateral freedom of movement of the brushroll assembly 130. Furthermore, the horizontal height difference on the first track 190 can determine the limit of the relative vertical movement of the guide member 150 relative to the main body 110, and therefore also determine the distance limit of the vertical movement of the brushroll 132 relative to the robot main body 110 or the surface to be cleaned, thereby controlling the trajectory of the guide member 150 while still ensuring alignment between the guide member 150 and the horizontal actuator 170.

[0064] In one example, the first track 190 includes at least two lateral extensions of different heights, for example, a first lateral extension 190a and a second lateral extension 190b. The first lateral extension 190a is positioned higher from the surface to be cleaned than the second lateral extension 190b. Therefore, the different heights of the lateral extensions cause the guide member 150 to be at different distances from the main body 110 or the surface to be cleaned when the slider 151 of the guide member 150 is positioned therein, thereby varying the height of the brush roller assembly 130 as a whole relative to the surface to be cleaned.

[0065] For example, back to Figure 5 As shown, when the slider 151 is located on the first lateral extension 190a, the brush roller assembly 130 is limited to a lateral travel range relative to the robot body 110 within the travel range of the first lateral extension 190a. Within this travel range, the brush roller assembly 130 is in an elevated position; the brush roller assembly 130 is entirely located within the contour of the robot body 110, that is, in an elevated, retracted state. At this point, the cleaning surface of the brush roller 132 does not contact the surface being cleaned and maintains a certain distance from the surface, ensuring that, when passing over a carpet, for example, it generally does not come into contact with the ends of the carpet's hair.

[0066] like Figure 8As shown, when the slider 151 is located in the second lateral extension 190b, the lateral movement of the brush roller assembly 130 relative to the robot body 110 is limited within the travel of the second lateral extension 190b. Within this travel, the brush roller assembly 130 is in a lowered position, with the cleaning surface of the brush roller 132 in contact with the surface to be cleaned and applying a certain amount of pressure to ensure that dirt particles are effectively removed from the surface when cleaning hard floors. In the lowered position, the brush roller assembly 130 can be located entirely within the contour of the body 110, that is, in a lowered and recovered state. The height of the second lateral extension 190b should be designed to transfer some of the weight or load of the robot body 110 to the first end 151a of the slider. When the first end 151a of the slider is located therein, the weight or load is applied to the brush roller assembly 130 via the upper edge of the first track 190 through the connection between the guide and the brush roller assembly, thereby increasing the load applied to the surface to be cleaned by the brush roller 132.

[0067] like Figure 9 As shown, when the robot 100 is operated in edgewise mode (cleaning the interface between a floor and a wall or an obstacle on the floor), the horizontal actuator 170 can be operated to limit the travel of the brush roller assembly 130 within the second lateral extension 190b to the extreme position B of the second lateral extension 190b. The drive system can cause the horizontal actuator 170 to apply a translational driving force to the slider 151 toward the outside of the cleaning robot body 110, causing the slider 151 to translate outward along the second lateral extension 190b of the first track 190. This translation can continue until the slider 151 reaches the extreme position B of the second lateral extension 190b. This causes one end of the brush roller assembly 130 to extend outside the cleaning robot body 110. Specifically, at least one end of the brush roller assembly 130 extends beyond the projection of the mobile cleaning robot's main body onto the surface to be cleaned. During the design process, the extension distance of the brush roller assembly 130 can be determined based on the sensing range of the cleaning robot's edgewise sensor. The extension distance may be considered to be limited to at least exceed the widest part of the cleaning robot housing in the transverse direction.

[0068] Back to Figure 7 Combined with Figure 10 and 13As shown, in one example, the first rail 190 also includes a transition portion 190c connecting the above-mentioned first lateral extension portion 190a and the second lateral extension portion 190b, so as to realize the switching of the first end 151a of the slider from the first lateral extension portion 190a to the second lateral extension portion 190b or from the second lateral extension portion 190b to the first lateral extension portion 190a through the transition portion 190c. As described above, when the first end 151a of the slider moves in the transition portion 190c, the vertical second track 172c on the horizontal actuator 170 provides the second end 151b of the slider with freedom of movement in the vertical direction, so that the first track 190 defined on the horizontal actuator 170 pushes the slider 151 to move along the transition portion 190c under the action of the translational driving force of the horizontal actuator 170, and the translational driving force generates a vertical component force between the transition portion 190c and the first end 151a of the slider, so as to overcome the gravity of the components including the brush roller assembly 130, starting from one end of the first lateral extension portion 190a, and at the same time climbing along the transition portion 190c and the vertical second track 172c to the starting end of the second lateral extension portion 190b. Under the above-mentioned translational driving force in the opposite direction, when the first end 151a of the slider starts to leave from one end of the second lateral extension portion 190b and enter the transition portion 190c, under the combined action of the gravity of the brush roller assembly 130 and the translational driving force, the first end 151a of the slider can slide along the transition portion 190c and the vertical first track 172 and enter the first lateral extension portion 190a.

[0069] In one example, the stroke lengths defined by the first lateral extension 190a and the second lateral extension 190b may be different. Figure 11 As shown, the stroke of the first lateral extension 190a is greater than that of the second lateral extension 190b. This is because in the second lateral extension 190b, the brush roller assembly 130 only needs to be raised and one end retracted into the robot body 110. The brush roller assembly 130 does not perform any additional functions in the retracted position, so there is no need to provide an additional long stroke, thus saving space in the robot body 110. In another example, the terminal end of the second lateral extension 190b can be located approximately in the middle of the cleaning robot body 110. When the slider 151 is moved to this position, the brush roller assembly 130 is also guided to a position approximately in the middle of the body 110.

[0070] like Figure 12As shown, the motor 173 of the drive system can be connected to an encoder (not shown) and optionally also connected to the horizontal actuator 170. One motor 173 can be connected to the horizontal actuator 170, and the horizontal actuator 170 can extend in the lateral direction of the main body 110 to transmit the rotation of the motor 173 to the lateral direction to move the guide member 150), thereby changing the cleaning mode of the robot 100 between the vacuum mode, the mopping mode and the edge mode.

[0071] In one example, if Figure 5 、 8 As shown in Figures 10, 12, and 13, the horizontal actuator 170 may include a drive gear 171 and a rack 172. The rack 172 includes a base plate 172b, on which a second vertical track 172c is formed to receive the second end 151b of the slider 151. The gear 171 and rack 172 work together to convert the rotation of the drive shaft of the motor 173 into translational movement of the rack 172, thereby providing the translational driving force. The slider 151, under the combined action of the first track 190 and the second vertical track 172c, can achieve transitions between horizontal and vertical positions by applying the translational driving force. Figure 13 The guide member 150 is also shown to include a body 152 extending from the guide member 150. In one example, the body 152 is a plate-like structure, with the first end 151a and the second end 151b of the slider 151 extending outwardly from either side of the plate-like structure. The body 152 can be connected to the splash guard 133 of the robot 100. The body 152 has a longitudinal length that helps determine the longitudinal travel of the brushroll assembly 130 of the robot 100. The body 152 has a surface located between the body 110 and the rack 172 to stabilize the movement of the slider 151 within the first track 190.

[0072] In one example, if Figure 12 As shown, in order to ensure the stability of the lateral movement of the rack 172, the main body 110 may include a transverse rail 110a. The extension direction of the transverse rail 110a is consistent with the extension direction of the first transverse extension portion 190a and / or the second transverse extension portion 190b to ensure the coordination and stability of the horizontal movement. The sliding portion 172a extending outward from the base plate 172b of the rack 172 can be received by the transverse rail 110a, and the two are engaged to form a guide mechanism for the movement of the rack 172. Through the above-mentioned cooperation between the main body 110 and the rack 172, a stable structure is formed for the rack 172 to move horizontally along the main body 110, so that no matter how the slider 151 of the guide member 150 moves between the main body 110 and the rack 172, the relative height between the rack 172 and the main body 110 remains unchanged.

[0073] In one example, a support portion 110b extends outward from the main body 110 to support the lower edge of the rack 172. This allows the lower edge of the rack 172 to be received by the support portion 110b and slide thereon during its lateral movement. In other words, this arrangement allows the rack 172 to mesh with the main body 110, allowing it to stably translate in response to the rotation of the gear 171, thereby causing the guide member 150 to change position, but only during a portion of the gear 171's travel (rotation) about its axis.

[0074] Combine Figure 5 and 8 -10, the brush roller 132 contacts the surface to be cleaned, the first end 151a of the slider 151 is located within the first lateral extension 190a, and the second end 151b is located at the lower end of the second vertical track 172c of the rack 172. As the gear 171 continues to rotate, the slider 151 continues to translate along the first lateral extension 190a toward the outside of the main body under the push of the second vertical track 172c of the rack 172 until the slider 151 engages with the terminal end of the first lateral extension 190a, or until the controller stops the rotation of the motor 173, for example, according to a signal from an encoder. At this time, one end of the brush roller 132 extends outside the main body 110.

[0075] In order to translate the brush roller assembly 130 back to its position in the body 110, the motor 173 can be operated to rotate the shaft in the opposite direction, so as to finally rotate the gear 171 in the opposite direction to translate the brush roller assembly 130 to its position in the body 110 and continue cleaning the surface to be cleaned.

[0076] When dry cleaning or vacuuming mode is required, such a process can be used as needed to operate the motor 173 to make the motor output shaft continue to rotate in the opposite direction, so as to eventually rotate in the opposite direction through the gear 171, so that the brush roller assembly 130 is translated and lifted to a higher position in the main body 110 during the process of the slider 151 climbing through the transition portion 190c to the second lateral extension portion 190b, so that the brush roller 132 leaves the cleaning surface and maintains an appropriate distance from the cleaning surface.

[0077] An encoder can be connected to the drive system. Thus, the encoder can monitor the rotation of the output shaft of the motor 173 or the gear 171, thereby monitoring the position of the rack 172. This position can be transmitted to the controller via a position signal (or encoder signal). The controller can thus determine the position of the slider 151 relative to the robot and the position of the brushroll assembly 130 relative to the body 110. The controller can use these positions to guide the movement and actions of the robot 100.

[0078] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment / method", "some embodiments / methods", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment / method or example are included in at least one embodiment / method or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment / method or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in an appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments / methods or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine different embodiments / methods or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments / methods or examples, unless they are contradictory.

[0079] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. Throughout the description of this application, "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0080] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above embodiments are merely intended to clearly illustrate the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other changes or modifications may be made based on the above disclosure, and such changes or modifications are still within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A mobile cleaning robot, characterized in that: include: a main body, which is movable over the surface to be cleaned; The brush roller assembly is connected to the main body through a guide member, and enables the mobile cleaning robot to clean the surface to be cleaned; The main body includes a first track engageable with a guide to define a movement path of the brush roller assembly in height and lateral directions relative to the main body.

2. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first track includes at least two lateral extensions of different heights, and a smoothly connected transition portion located between the lateral extensions. The guide member is received by the first track to move linearly through the lateral extensions, changing the movement trajectory through the transition portion, thereby changing its relative distance from the main body.

3. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The main body includes at least two first tracks, and the at least two first tracks are distributed side by side along the main body in a transverse direction.

4. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide member includes a slider, which enables it to move within the first track.

5. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The invention also includes a horizontal actuator connected to the guide member, which provides a lateral actuation force to the guide member through lateral movement. During the lateral movement, the height of the horizontal actuator relative to the main body is constant.

6. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The horizontal actuator includes a second vertically arranged track for receiving the guide member so that the guide member can move up and down along the second track.

7. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The guide member includes a limiting plate, which is located between the first rail and the second rail; and sliding blocks respectively extending outward from both sides of the limiting plate and respectively received by the first rail and the second rail.

8. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The horizontal actuator includes a driving gear that is rotatable and operable, and a rack connected to the guide member, wherein the driving gear is meshedly connected to the rack to convert the driving force of the driving gear into an actuating force in the lateral direction of the rack.

9. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The height includes a first height and a second height. At the first height, the brush roller assembly contacts the surface to be cleaned, and at least one end of the brush roller assembly extends out of a projection range of the body of the mobile cleaning robot on the surface to be cleaned.

10. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The height includes a first height and a second height. At the second height, the brush roller assembly is away from the surface to be cleaned, and the entire brush roller assembly is located within the projection range of the body of the mobile cleaning robot on the surface to be cleaned.

11. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: A controller is included that is coupled to the main body and configured to move the guide between a first horizontal position and a second horizontal position based on a desired position of the brushroll assembly.

12. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 9, characterized in that: The controller is configured to move the guide member from a first horizontal position to a second horizontal position when the brush roller assembly is at a first height to lower the height of the brush roller assembly to a second height, at which time one end of the brush roller assembly extends out of the main body of the mobile cleaning robot.

13. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 10, characterized in that: The controller is configured to move the guide member from the second horizontal position to the first horizontal position when the brush roller assembly is at the second height to raise the height of the brush roller assembly to the first height, at which time at least one end of the brush roller assembly is located within the main body of the mobile cleaning robot.

14. A mobile cleaning robot, characterized in that: include: main body; A brush roller assembly enables the mobile cleaning robot to clean the surface to be cleaned; a guide member connected to the brush roller and capable of driving the brush roller assembly to change position relative to the main body; a first track connected to the main body and configured to receive the guide member so that the guide member can move relative to the main body between a first lateral position and a second lateral position, wherein the guide member is away from the surface to be cleaned in the first lateral position and the guide member is closer to the surface to be cleaned in the second lateral position, thereby switching the brush roller between a position away from the surface to be cleaned and a position contacting the surface to be cleaned; a rack and pinion assembly connected to the guide member, the rack and pinion assembly driving the guide member to move between a first lateral position and a second lateral position relative to the main body based on a rotational input; and a controller on the main body for providing a rotational input to the rack and pinion assembly based on a desired position of the brush roller assembly.

15. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 14, characterized in that: In a first horizontal position, the brush roller assembly is proximate to the main body and is entirely located within the main body.

16. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 14, characterized in that: In the second horizontal position, the brush roller assembly is away from the main body and in contact with the surface to be cleaned, and one end thereof extends beyond or is flush with the widest position of the main body.

17. A mobile cleaning robot, characterized in that: include: main body; The brush roller assembly connected to the main body enables the mobile cleaning robot to clean the surface to be cleaned; a guide member connected to the brush roller assembly, wherein the guide member is configured to guide the brush roller assembly to move in a lateral direction relative to the main body; an actuator connected to the guide member, the actuator providing an actuating force to the lateral movement of the guide member; The lateral movement stroke of the brush roller assembly relative to the main body includes a first extreme position and a second extreme position laterally opposite to the first extreme position. In the first extreme position, one end of the brush roller assembly can extend out of the main body relative to the main body and the brush roller assembly as a whole is away from the main body; in the second extreme position, the brush roller assembly as a whole is located within the range of the main body and the brush roller assembly as a whole is close to the main body.

18. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 17, characterized in that: The guide member comprises: A guide member connected to the brush roller assembly, and a first track that can be engaged with the guide member, the first track includes at least two lateral extensions with different heights, and a smoothly connected transition portion located between the lateral extensions, the guide member is received by the first track, and the brush roller assembly is moved closer to or away from the main body through the actuating force in the lateral direction.

19. The mobile cleaning robot according to claim 18, characterized in that: The utility model further comprises a horizontal actuator, wherein the horizontal actuator comprises a second vertically arranged track for receiving the guide member, and the guide member can move up and down along the second track.

Images